Users frequently listen to portable electronic devices, such as AM/FM radios, portable compact disc players, cellular telephones, and the like, through various small speaker devices collectively called "earpiece assemblies." A common characteristic of earpiece assemblies is that a portion of the earpiece assembly rests inside the user's ear when in use. That is, a portion of the earpiece assembly rests in, and is supported by, the pinna of the ear and typically abuts the external auditory meatus of the ear. Such earpiece assemblies have traditionally taken the form of small stereo headphone sets, single earbuds, and the like.
The portion of the earpiece assembly designed to rest inside the pinna is called an earbud and typically includes the speaker portion of the earpiece assembly. Typically attached to the earpiece is a downwardly extending stem. Typically, the earbud is integrally formed with the stem. Thus, there is a relatively fixed angle between the earbud and the stem for prior art earpiece assemblies.
Connecting the earpiece assembly with its associated electronic device is a flexible cord. The cord may be hardwired into the electronic device or may have a barrel plug or the like on its far end for plugging into a receptacle in the electronic device. Some electronic devices include an internal cord retractors which help neatly store the cord internal to the electronic device.
It is increasingly common for earpiece assemblies to also include microphones for picking up the voice of the user, typically mounted in the stem. While obviously not necessary for output-only electronic devices, such as AM/FM radios or compact disc players, such earpiece assembly microphones are popular options with other electronic devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and the like.
The earbuds of traditional earpiece assemblies may not fit comfortably in many ears, principally because the associated stems prevent insertion of the earbud into a comfortable location. Further, it is common for traditional earpiece assemblies to be pulled out of the user's ear when the cord is inadvertently struck or snagged. Also, for those earpiece assemblies incorporating microphones, the microphones of the earpiece assembly are not available for convenient use when the earpiece assembly is stored.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a compact earpiece assembly which may have its physical configuration modified readily by the user. Further, such a compact earpiece assembly should, but is not required to, include a microphone which can be readily utilized when the earpiece assembly is in a stored condition.